


Feel the Breeze

by LilyElk13



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 1930s Bucky Barnes, 1930s Steve Rogers, Back Pain, Back Tracing, Heh heh, M/M, No Smut, Pining, Platonic Cuddling, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-World War II Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Scoliosis, Sharing a Bed, Sick Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, bed sharing, idk if that's actually something Steve struggled with but here it is, pre war steve rogers, sick!Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-02
Packaged: 2019-06-01 11:37:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15142250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyElk13/pseuds/LilyElk13
Summary: Just some fluff between two teenagers in love (but they don't know that they're in love yet heh heh)





	Feel the Breeze

“Bucky, hon, could you check on Steve after school? I have to work the night shift tonight and I don’t want to leave him alone for that long with him being so sick,” Sarah Rogers calls as she sweeps a lock of long blonde hair behind her ear, bending to gather up the papers she needed to take back to the hospital, which had just been spilled over the sidewalk. 

'Yeah, sure! I was planning to stop by anyways," Bucky trots down the steps of the apartment he had just exited, smiling at his best friend's mother, who gives a tight, worried smile back. He kneels on the pavement to help her gather the papers. She gently pulls Bucky's head to her chest as they stand so she can kiss his hair. 

"Thank you," She breathes, squeezing the 16-year-old's shoulder lightly and turning to go.

"Bye, Sarah!" He calls after her. She waves, and he returns it before walking the opposite way to go to school. 

"Bucky!" A quick hiss from his door stops him in his tracks. He turns, and his own mother is waving him towards her. 

He jogs back up to the porch where his mother swiftly pulls him inside. She presses a one dollar bill and a few coins into his palm after closing the door. 

"They're really struggling, the Rogers. Pick them up some groceries at the store on your way home, please?" His mother's large blue eyes are so similar to his own, but filled with sadness. 

"Yeah, sure thing, Ma. Should I get some medicine for Stevie, too?"

His mother thinks for a second and then nods quickly, reaching into the pocket of her lavender dress and producing a few more of the precious nickels, dropping them into her son's hand. She kisses him on the cheek and sends him off with a quick goodbye and a 'be good'.

~~~

It's nearly 4 o'clock by the time Bucky gets home from school. He lets himself into Steve and Sarah's apartment with his keys as quietly as possible, so if Steve's asleep he won't be woken up. 

The apartment is silent, except for the faint lazy whir of the ceiling fan overhead. Late afternoon sunlight filters in through the windows, bathing the worn wood floors in soft golden light. Bucky sets down the bags containing milk, bread, fruit, and cold medicine on the creaky kitchen table, and puts everything away. He then tip toes down the hall to Steve's room. 

He's already up, rolling off his stomach and onto his back when he hears Bucky's soft footsteps. 

"Hey," He sighs, breaking off into a hacking cough. His cheeks are flushed with fever, and he looks downright miserable. 

Bucky's heart clenches. "Hey there, punk. How're ya feelin'?" He kicks off his shoes and comes to the side of the bed, gently nudging Steve over so he can climb in and get under the covers. 

Steve coughs again. "Like trash. Where's my ma?"

"Night shift. She asked me to come check on you," Bucky lifts his arm over the smaller boy's head so Steve can sidle closer and use Bucky's bicep as a pillow. Steve begrudgingly takes advantage of the offer. 

"My chest hurts. And my back hurts. Everything hurts. Ugh."

"I know, pal," Bucky soothes, crossing the arm that Stevie's laying on over the smaller boy's bony chest. He's wearing a white t-shirt that's far too big for him, and Bucky rolls the excess fabric between his fingers. "Did you say your back hurt? Is your spine all messed up again?"

"It's always been messed up, Buck," Steve closes his eyes and lets himself relax, but Bucky can tell his friend is still a little tense, as if holding himself up slightly to put pressure off his crooked backbone. "But, yeah."

Bucky pats Steve's chest absently, wishing he could just take all of the pain and sickness away. If he could take off his Stevie's shoulders, he'd do it in a heartbeat. 

"Here, roll over, you punk, I'll do the pressure point thing that my ma taught me," Bucky gently pushes Steve off his arm, who groans, but then quickly sits up and coughs violently into the crook of his arm.

"It's fine Buck, I'll be fine," He manages between coughs. Bucky winces and gently runs his hands up and down Steve's hunched back. He can feel the unnatural bend in the younger boy's spine, the curve slightly to the left where it should be ramrod straight. Fever heat soaks through the shirt, and Bucky lifts the hem and slips his hands underneath. Hopefully, his cool hands will feel good on Steve's back.

"Can I at least do 'X marks the spot'?" Bucky whispers, scooting closer so he can put his chin on Steve's shoulder as he sits behind him. The shoulder's shifted a little higher due to the scoliosis, but it's never been too noticeable. 

Bucky knows this will get Steve to give in and let Bucky take care of him. Steve's always been the strong one, the defiant, tough one, but having someone touch his back was always a weakness of his. Sometimes it was the only thing that could calm him down during panic attacks. 

Steve wilts slightly. They had done 'X marks the spot' since they were very young, after Bucky's ma had taught them the pattern. It had become a source of comfort to both boys, and sometimes they found themselves absently doing it to the other at random times. 

"Yeah, that would be nice, actually," Steve finally gives in, and he can feel Bucky smile against his bony shoulder. "Can I take my shirt off, first? It's too hot in here."

"That's your fever talking, punk. But yeah, go ahead," Bucky takes his hands out from under Steve's shirt, and helps him pull it over his head. Steve tosses it into the corner and leans forward, hugging his knees to his chest. 

Bucky is glad that Steve's facing away from him, so Steve can't see him blush. He hates it, how he's feeling, and how he's felt in the past. It's wrong. At least, he thinks it is. But how wrong can it be, how can it be against God if God made people, and some people were like him? He pushes the thoughts away and focuses on Steve's back. 

Its thin and pale, with milky skin stretched over soft muscle and knobby bone. Steve has three noticeable freckles on his back, along with a spray of fainter ones. They're shaped in a triangle, like a constellation. Bucky traces them lightly, smiling. Steve sighs, brushing some of his gold-spun hair out of his eyes. 

Bucky lightly draws an X across Steve's back with his fingernail. "X marks the spot."

He taps him three times across his back as he continues. "With a dot dot dot, and a dash dash dash," He draws three short lines. "And a question mark," he traces the shape on the smooth skin. 

He smiles, feeling Steve relax, his muscles releasing their tension, his shoulders dropping, and a long breath release from his tight lungs. 

"Chills go up," Bucky starts again, fluttering his fingers up Steve's crooked spine. "Chills go down," He brings the motion back down. "Chills go alllll around." He runs his hands all over his best friend's skinny back, from his shoulders to the dimples on his lower back. 

Steve shudders involuntarily from the sensation, and both boys chuckle softly. 

"Feel the breeze," Bucky blows a cool stream of air onto Steve's shoulder blades, and the smaller boy exhales in relaxation. "Tight squeeze," He gently reaches up and squeezes Steve's shoulder. "And down it falls," He finishes, running his hand firmly all the way down Steve's back. 

Steve sighs, and it seems to Bucky that he's breathing a little bit better than he was a few minutes ago. 

"Buck?"

"Yeah, Stevie?"

"Can you stay with me? For a little while? I just wanna sleep."

Bucky smiles, and gently pulls Steve back into his chest. "'Course, punk."

"Jerk," Steve grumbles, but its goodnatured. 

Bucky lays down on his side, pulling Steve down with him. He readjusts the pillows and pulls the covers over them, settling in. He doesn't hold Steve to him, even though he desperately wants to. The evening sunshine streams through the window and sprays across the teenagers' faces, and in that moment Bucky thinks that he's never seen anything quite as pretty as Stevie's face. 

Steve stays a few inches away from Bucky, lying on his side too but facing away from the older boy. His aqua eyes close, and Bucky's icy ones slowly flutter shut as well. The breeze from the slightly cracked windows washes over them. 

They stay silent for awhile, the only sounds being the whir of the fan overhead and the soft rumble of cars on the street below their window. Bucky only opens his eyes at the sound of the sheets moving. 

Steve scoots back towards his best friend and reaches around to grab the arm attached to said friend. He pulls the arm over him, and his silently delighted to find that it drapes over his thin waist and holds him close. Steve presses his bare back into the chest of Bucky, and closes his eyes again. He can feel Bucky's soft, warm breath on the back of his neck, and for a long while everything is right in the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's some Stucky because I love my boys and there aren't enough pre war fluff between them ugh. Thanks for reading lovely people! Comments are much appreciated!!


End file.
